Hunting Ban and Restrictions in Northumberland Forest

For years, politicians have recognized the dangers of sport hunting and have legislated hunters to wear orange garments during hunting activity. However, the same safety considerations have never been extended to non-hunters sharing the same outdoor space during hunting seasons – likely to avoid or deny the controversial nature of sport hunting.

But since the death of a grandmother shot by a deer hunter while hiking in Simcoe County Forest, near Barrie Ont., two years ago, there has been greater pressure on legislators to ensure popular woodlands are safe from sport hunting.

The Northumberland Forest is found north of Port Hope over to Brighton, Ontario and south of Rice Lake. The mayors of the seven municipalities that encompass the Northumberland Forest voted to create a no-hunting zone and restrict sport hunting to a small portion of the forest to ensure the safety of non-hunters and avoid issues of liability.

Their decision was made easier by the fact that sport hunting is a dwindling activity within the forest and the demographics of the local hunting community is aging. Therefore, sport hunting will be less prevalent in future years as individuals retire from the sport.

Council also decided to ban the use of motorized vehicles such as ATVs in the hunting zone. Deer carcasses must be butchered on site and/or retrieved by hand. This limits damage to the forest floor and preserves forest regeneration.

northhumberlandtoday.com
Feb. 17, 2010

Northumberland Forest: New no-hunting zones & hunting restrictions
County council opts for safety

NORTHUMBERLAND — For the first time, there will be restrictions on where and what hunters can hunt in Northumberland Forest.

The decision, however, to restrict it to only deer hunting season, the east side of County Road 45 on 146 acres of the forest's 5,150 acres with only with shotguns, muzzle loaders or archery, was not a unanimous one.

Two of the mayors out of the seven municipalities that comprise Northumberland County voted against it and these are the township in which the county forest is located, north of Baltimore. The dissenting, recorded votes were cast by Hamilton Township Mayor Rick Lovshin and Alnwick/Haldimand Township Mayor Bill Finley.

"Some of the best hunting" is in the proposed banned area between Beagle Club Road and County Road 45, Finley said.

While most hunters (and Finley says he is one, too) agree that west of County Road 45 is used for skiing and hunting trails, the additional area ban between the county road and Beagle Club Road is one his municipality and councillors can't support, Finely explained as he asked for a recorded vote.

Lovshin made no comment before casting the only other "No" vote.

In addition to the area defined for hunting deer only during deer hunting season, regulated by the Ministry of Natural Resources, council has also adopted a recommendation that "no motorized game retrieval is permitted off the designated motorized trail network."

While doing the study and consultative work for the recommendations adopted by the majority of county council on Wednesday, forest manager officer Mia Frankl said she understood that there wouldn't be unanimous agreement on this issue by forest users. The objective was to reach a "compromise" solution that would deal with legal liability and provide safety, she explained.

"People have a right to feel safe when walking in the Forest," she said. "In consideration of perception and facts, the county must show due diligence and duty of care if we are to permit hunting to occur in the forest while other recreational opportunities exist."

Stakeholder meetings with hunters date back to January, 2008, according to her report. Hundreds of hunter comments were received, it also states. The recommendation adopted by council this week was, however, different than the one presented in March 26, 2009 at a public meeting. It suggested allowing all hunting (deer, turkey, small game, etc.) except in the Beagle Club Road trails area, with deer hunting limited to east of County Road 45 with shotguns and archery, but not muzzle loading.

A hunting survey undertaken in 2007 found 96 per cent of hunters in Northumberland Forest were male, almost half over 50 and 83 per cent were county residents and all of them hunted deer, according to her report.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters provided a 128-signature petition opposing no-hunting zones, limited seasons and wanting to use motorized vehicles to retrieve their game in Northumberland Forest, it also states. But only four of the petitioners lived in the county, Frankl said.

"You've changed my mind," Port Hope Mayor Lynda Thompson said about the completeness of the report and recommendations for no-hunting zones and hunting restrictions.

"I didn't support it before."

Warden and Cobourg Mayor Peter Delanty said the information "cleared up" issues for him to support the changes.

Trent Hills Mayor Hector Macmillan, who described himself as a "former hunter" said he had originally expected a complete ban to be recommended and was pleased to see County Road 45 as the dividing area between hunting and no-hunting.

There is to be no rifle hunting at all in the forest, Frankl said in response to a question from Brighton Mayor Christine Herrington.

Cramahe Mayor Marc Coombs was not at the meeting.

Signage and an education program will help the public and hunters become aware of the new changes in the county forest, Frankl assured councillors when asked.

vmacdonald@northumberlandtoday.com